A Practical Workbook

The 3R Energy System

A simple rhythm so you never run on empty. Review what is draining you, recharge across four dimensions, and relaunch with a clear intention for what comes next.

Everything you type stays in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere, and nothing is saved to any server.

Fill it in here, or let it walk you through it

This page is your workbook, and you fill it in right here. The AI companion is a separate file. You download it and upload it into your own AI, and it walks you through the three Rs.

  1. Download the file.
  2. Open your AI tool, whether that is ChatGPT, Claude, or any other AI you use.
  3. Upload it, and it will guide you through the three Rs.
Part 1 of 2

Run one 3R cycle

Review the period honestly, recharge the battery, and relaunch with a clear intention. Run these three steps in order, at whichever scale you are on.

Do this proactively, not reactively. Do not wait until you are tired to practise the three Rs, because by then it is already too late. Run the cycle on a schedule, before you are running low.
Step 1

Review: look at the period honestly

Review is data. Look at what went well, what did not, and pull the lesson out.

Marc's words

"Review is data. What went well, what didn't, remove the emotion and keep the lesson."

List the recurring activities that actually filled this period, not the idealized version. For each one, mark whether it filled you or drained you. Marc's own question is simple: which activities made you feel more alive, and which left you more emptied?

Strip the emotion, keep the lesson.

Marc also seeks feedback from others. Who could give you honest input on this period?

Step 2

Recharge: refill the battery

Recharge is the battery, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In Marc's words, you cannot run on empty.

The type of tired you are right now

Marc's rule: match the rest to the type of tired. Mental stress needs mental rest, not just more physical activity.

Sleep, fasts, massage, stretches, plus nutrition and movement.

Fun and enjoyment, the things you love, friends, trips.

Social media detox, meditation, silence, nature. Marc calls mental recharge the most neglected of the four.

Deepen your relationship with God, the Universe, or the divine, realign your purpose, give thanks.

This is a suggested guide, not a fixed rule. For real health decisions, talk to your own doctor or a licensed professional.
A quick check: are you doing the right type of rest for the type of tired you are?
Marc's words

"Burnout doesn't always arrive as exhaustion. Sometimes it arrives as nothing on your calendar that you actually want to do."

Step 3

Relaunch: set the next intention

Relaunch is intention. Set the specific focus for the next block.

Part 2 of 2

Build your 3R rhythm

The three Rs are not a one time reset. You run the same cycle all the time, at five scales, and only the duration and depth change. This is where you set the rhythm so it keeps running without relying on willpower.

Proactive, not reactive. Schedule the rhythm before you are tired, so recovery is built into how you perform, not a repair job after you burn out.

Your cadence, at five scales

Using Marc's activities as the menu, write what you will actually do at each scale, and when. Note the activity and the time, for example a weekly review on Friday at 4pm.

Hourly (or more)Seconds to minutes

Marc's examples

Deep BreathingMeditationCold ShowersVisualisation
DailyAround ten minutes

Marc's examples

Shut Down RoutineNight Routine

You build the morning, shutdown, and night routines just below.

WeeklyTwo to four hours

Marc's examples

Social Media DetoxDatesSocial GatheringsPlanning and Reviewing for the Week
MonthlyAround half a day

Marc's examples

MassageMonthly ReviewsFull Day Out
QuarterlyA one to two day retreat

Marc's examples

Staycations or HolidaysLearning RetreatsPriority and Goal Setting

Your daily non-negotiables

At the daily scale, the three Rs live inside three anchor routines. Use Marc's own versions as a template, then test and adjust each one until it fits you.

Marc's version
  • Wake up and drink water (5 to 10 mins)
  • Wash up and cold shower (5 to 10 mins)
  • Drink coffee and look at the day's activities (5 to 10 mins)
  • Then start deep work
Watch out: the morning routine can quietly become procrastination. Do the hardest and most important task first. Tips that help: place your alarm away from the bed, keep your phone off for the first 30 to 60 minutes, wake at a consistent time, and keep water by the bed.
Marc's versioninspired by Cal Newport's Deep Work
  • Deep breathing (5 mins)
  • Review the day by journalling (5 mins)
  • Plan the next day (5 to 10 mins)
  • Shut the laptop and say the word Shut Down
Marc's version
  • Bathe and wash up (10 mins)
  • Bodycare (10 mins)
  • Stretching (10 mins)
  • Catch up with a loved one (10 to 15 mins)
  • Prepare to sleep (5 mins)

The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep strategy

A simple wind-down countdown to protect your sleep, credit to Brendon Burchard.

10hours before bed, no more stimulants like caffeine.
3hours before bed, no more food, alcohol, or beverages other than water.
2hours before bed, no more work, and shut off your work electronics.
1hour before bed, no more electronics, all phones, TVs, and computers off.
0you hit snooze zero times the next morning.

What time will your wind-down start, and what is your version of this?

Schedule it into your calendar

Schedule all of the above into your calendar as soon as you can. Put the 3R sessions in first, as big rocks, alongside exercise and family, before business fills the gaps. If it is not scheduled on your calendar, it is not a priority.

Your plan

My 3R plan

This is your one page plan, your relaunch and your rhythm together. Print it and put it somewhere you will actually see it.

Your AI companion

Take the AI companion with you

The AI companion works with ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI you use. It walks you through the three Rs, and everything you have already filled in here comes with it.

To be clear, this page is the workbook you fill in here. The AI companion is a separate file you download and bring into your own AI to be guided through the same three Rs.

  1. Download the file.
  2. Open your AI tool, whether that is ChatGPT, Claude, or any other AI you use.
  3. Upload it, and it will guide you through the three Rs.